Ariel's Adventure
by Mermaidz22
Summary: Ariel has always dreamed of life in the sea, but is afraid to dissapoint her father. Will a handsome merman be able to change her mind about leaving land?
1. Chapter 1

**So, I'm sitting in my room, and then I think... Y'know what would make a great Fanfiction? So, I wrote one. Please don't judge! I've worked really hard on this!**

Ariel sighed and stared out if the window at the bustling streets below. Glancing around behind her, checking to make sure her sisters weren't in the room, she stuck her head out of the window. Her red hair waved in the wind like a banner, and closing her eyes, she could smell the sea. From the second floor of the little house she shared with her Dad and her six sisters, she could see the ocean, the waves lapping up against the sand of the beach, as if they called to her. Pulling her head back inside, she turned quickly and grabbed her bag, then ran down to the streets below. She hurried along with everyone else in the busy and bustling streets, but when she came to a little fence that bordered the edge of the road, she leapt over it and ran down the narrow path to the beach. She kicked her shoes off and dashed through the sand, dancing to the sound of the waves. Then she spotted something glimmering in the sand. She hurried forward and picked up a silvery seashell. The way it caught the light was perfect, and she placed it carefully on her bag. Continuing down the beach, she found more shells and some pretty rocks, worn smooth by the sand and the waves. Then she stumbled upon the jewel of her collection. A rope of pearls, each the same size and perfectly round, like little moons all arranged in a row. She laughed as she thought of the merpeople dancing with the waves, splashing the sea water around, sending little droplets of blue up into the sky. She knew that the merpeople lived out there. She had seen them, dancing among the waves at sunset. Her sisters and her father were perfectly content to stay firmly planted on land, but Ariel desperately wanted more. She wanted to live with the merpeople, to be able to breathe under water and to explore the deep blue sea. But, she knew it was impossible. She watched the sun set at the edge of the horizon, a fiery ball of light sinking into the deep blue water. Then she remembered. Her Dad had a curfew! He had recently set a curfew because he caught one of her sisters sneaking out to meet a friend. She sprinted back the way she came, gabbing her shoes, and not stopping to put them on. She kicked up sand behind her as she ran up the beach. Reaching the street, she continued to run, but her pace was slowed by the people milling about. She apologized many times as she ran into people and stepped on toes. She finally reached their small house, and pushed open the door just as the clock struck 7:00.  
"Ariel! Why did you almost miss curfew?" Thundered her father, walking in. He was a blacksmith, and he was wearing his leather apron and his hands were gray from working with metal all day.  
"Sorry Daddy." Apologized Ariel, looking down at her bare feet. "I lost track of time."  
"Were you on the beach again, young lady?" Asked her father, his tone of voice suggesting that he already knew the answer.  
"Yes." Mumbled Ariel.  
He rolled his eyes. "What you find so fascinating about some water and a lot of sand, I don't know." He said. "Now run off to bed." He instructed her.  
Ariel hurried up the stairs to the room she shared with all six of her sisters. She walked over to her bed, which was right by the window. The bed was simple, made out of wood, but she had painted fish all over it, in many different colors, shapes, and sizes. A quilt lay on top of the mattress, made with patches of blue, green, and purple fabrics.  
"Did you break curfew?" Asked one sister.  
"Was he mad?" Asked another, pulling the blankets up to her nose. Ariel smiled and shook her head, reaching under her bed to get the box that held all of her treasures in it. She place her findings in it, shut it, and slid it back under her bed. "Goodnight." She yawned, before climbing into bed and promptly falling asleep, dreaming of swimming in the sea.

**Done with chapter one! Did you like it? Review! Please! And also, can you tell where I'm going with this? Or are you lost? Tell me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two... Enjoy!**

Ariel dreamed of waves slamming into the sand, only to retreat, leaving behind a merman. He was beautiful, perfect and kind. She needed to help him, but something was holding her back. She turned to see an angry woman standing behind her, with flowing black hair and evil yellow eyes. She looked at Ariel, and raised a blacksmith's hammer. Her father was standing at her feet, no, kneeling, and staring at Ariel, his eyes glistening with tears. Ariel needed to choose...  
Ariel gasped and sat up in her bed, her hair falling out of her usual braid that she wore to sleep. She climbed out of bed, and slipped outside, looking up at the half moon hanging in the sky. Walking carefully, her bare feet padding on the cold cobblestone of the street. The sea was especially rough tonight, and the usual sea breeze had turned into a rough wind, blowing her red hair behind her like a banner. Her simple white nightgown swished around in the wind. She reached the beach, and felt strangely peaceful. Though devoid of life, it felt calm, and she looked down at her nightgown, pretending that she was a princess in a beautiful dress, she danced through the sand, closer and closer to the sea, which was growing more and more restless. She suddenly felt cool water wash over her feet, and she splashed in the waves, running in up to her waist, throwing the water into the air, wishing on the moon to become a mermaid. That's when she saw it. Carnage, in the ocean. A vessel had wrecked, and she noticed a merman dodging between the planks of wood. He was trying to escape something, and as he flailed, she saw what. A net was wrapped firmly around his tail, attached to an anchor. He was being pulled under the water. He was trying to reach something, a bag. Without thinking, without knowing why, Ariel dived into the waves. She saw a plank of wood come from nowhere and hit him in the head. He slipped under, sinking like a stone. She dived under and kicked her legs, surprisingly strong from dancing, grabbing his arm, and with great effort, hauling him to the surface. With her other hand she grabbed the bag, and swam, to the best of her ability, to the surface. Gasping for air, she dragged him onto the sand, and flopped down next to him. He looked like the merman in her dream, with beautiful black hair and a sapphire blue tail, covered in perfect scales. He was bare chested, and his arms looked strong. She gently brushed the hair off of his face. He was handsome, and she felt her heart melt. She opened the bag and found a fork and a pipe. She smiled. I wonder if he likes to collect human objects, like I collect things from the sea. She thought. She pulled out an acorn, a little thing that she had plucked from her windowsill two nights ago and pocketed without any thought, and placed it in the bag. He stirred. She began to sing, as she had an amazing voice, and felt the need to sing for him. It was a lullaby that her mother used to sing, before she drowned. His eyes opened, and she smiled at him. The sun rose above the water, throwing bright rays of light over the land. He gasped, and backed up from her. He struggled into the water and disappeared with one flip of his powerful tail.  
"Wait!" Called Ariel, running into the water after him, holding the bag. Her shoulders slumped and disappointment sank into her body. Then, remembering her father, she dashed home. She changed into dry clothes quickly, and braided her wet hair. She had just finished when her oldest sister woke up.  
"Ariel, what are you doing at this ungodly hour?" She asked.  
"I couldn't sleep." Lied Ariel.  
Her sister nodded and leaned back into her pillows, falling asleep quickly. Ariel went down to her father's blacksmith shop, and notified him that she was leaving before running back out to the beach. There she sat in the sand and stared out at the water, wondering where the merman was now. The truth was that he was behind a rock, spying on her. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know more about her. But he was a merman, and she was human. She wasn't even supposed to know he existed. But, Ariel knew he existed, and when she thought of him, her heart beat faster, and she knew she was in love. She needed to see him again.

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter, enjoy!**

Over the next few days, Ariel's determination grew, even though she was unable to visit the beach. Her father, fearing that he was losing his youngest daughter to the sea, the same way he lost his wife, kept her busy running errands and cleaning around the house. But Ariel was a determined, headstrong sixteen year old, and she wasnt about to give up. Every chance she got she stole glances at the endless ocean, and every night she went through her collection, fingering especially the beloved rope of pearls. Finally she knew her dad was trying to keep her away from the water when he asked her to clean the floor for the third time. "Daddy? Are you trying to keep me away from the water?" She asked him.  
"Ariel, I don't want you going near the beach again!" He ordered her.  
"No!" She yelled. "I love it there!" She didn't know where this anger was coming from, but she knew that she needed to see the sea again. However, he was the king of this household, and he ruled with an iron fist. He towered a over her and glared down at her.  
"Ariel." He said, his voice deadly serious. "You are never. Ever. To go to the beach ever again." He ordered her. "It's time you pulled your head out of the clouds and got used to the real world." He said, before turning and leaving her in a pit of despair. She ran upstairs and threw herself onto her bed, sobbing. She needed to see the waves again. Slowly, her sisters filtered in from downstairs, and she pretended to be asleep. She didn't want them to try to comfort her, they didn't know a love like this. She needed to swim in the sea, and she needed to see the young merman again. She heard her father retreat to his room, and she slipped out of bed, pulling a cloak around her shoulders. She grabbed the wooden box that she kept her collection in. Then she snuck out of the house, and crept down the street. She had never felt this nervous, sneaking away from home, dashing into the shadows whenever she saw someone coming. After what seemed like forever, she reached the sand, which squished between her toes. She untied the cloak, and lay it gently in the sand, placing her shoes delicately on top, with her collection. Then, she dashed into the waves. Swimming was challenging, with her dress on, but she didn't care. And she knew putting it back on after climbing out of the water would get sand everywhere. She didn't know how long she stayed out there, but it was a long time. Hours. She played and dreamed that she was a mermaid. Finally, when the sky was starting to become lighter, she clambered out of the water, dripping wet and collected her stuff before slogging her way back to the house. The walk back seemed to take forever, and the sun was halfway out of the water before she got home. She opened the door and crept into the entrance hall, before running headlong into her father. He had obviously been looking for her, and was not happy to see her in this state.  
"Ariel! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" He raged, seeming to grow taller as she shrank back. She bumped into the wall and her collection spilled out of her arms, hitting the ground and bursting open, spilling its contents on the floor. Luckily, she managed to cling the the merman's satchel, but everything else was on the floor, including her beloved rope of pearls.  
"You Will NEVER Return To The Sea!" He yelled, swinging his blacksmith's hammer at the contents of the box. Ariel watched in horror as each shell, each little wonder that held precious memories, was shattered. The rope of pearls was last.  
"Daddy, no!" She cried, but it was too late. The hammer swung down, shattering each and every one of the little jewels. Ariel, tears stinging in her eyes, turned and ran out of the door. She knew where she was going, where she should have gone in the first place. There was a woman, everyone called her a witch, who lived in a small black house. Ariel knocked on the door, before slipping in.  
"Who dares to grace me with their presence?" Asked a slumped figure from the corner. Pulling back the hood and standing up straighter, the figure stepped into the light. Her appearance wasn't as terrifying as Ariel had expected. Her frizzy hair was dark purple, with black streaks through it. She was pale, like a creature that had never seen the sun, and her lips were painted black. She wore dark purple powder on her lids, and she glared down her nose at Ariel.  
"Who're you?" She asked, her voice low and husky.  
Ariel swallowed, looking at the many jars of creepy things on the walls. "I want to be a mermaid." She finally gasped.  
The woman raised an eyebrow. Then with a grunt of acceptance, she shrugged.  
"I have some leftover of that actually." She said, rolling her eyes. "Someone who looked just like you came and got some." She was rifling through the bottles.  
"Isn't there a price?" Asked Ariel. The witch smiled slightly. Ariel felt herself doused in fear.  
"I need something... something important. What do you have to offer?" Said the witch. Ariel nodded.  
"What about my voice?" She asked. The witch threw back her head and cackled.  
"What would I use that for?" She wheezed, clutching her side. "I'm not an opera singer" She giggled gleefully. Ariel shrugged. This woman seemed slightly bipolar, and was creeping her out a bit.  
"But..." Said the Witch, reaching up and pulling out a tiny blue bottle. "Everything comes with a price." She sneered.  
"Sing." Instructed the witch. So Ariel sang. And her voice flew out of her mouth and landed in the bottle, glowing slightly. Ariel gasped and clutched her throat, unable to make a sound. A tear steamed down her face. "If he kisses you by sunset on the third day, you'll be a mermaid forever, and if not... you'll join my collection." sneered the witch ominously. She gestured at a large cage in the corner of the room, where cockroaches scuttled, swarming over each other. I'll walk you to the beach." She said, grabbing Ariel's wrist. They snuck through back alleys to the water, where Ariel, tears still staining her cheeks, turned to face the witch. As soon as they reached the beach, the Witch said a few words in a different language. Ariel felt a tingling in her legs, and she collapsed in the sand. Her dress was gone, replaced with a seashell bra, and instead of legs, she had a long, graceful tail. "You might want to get in the water." Advised the Witch, giving Ariel a look of pure distain. Ariel felt tears of joy sting her eyes. She scrabbled her way into the water, and with a final, joyful wave to the Witch, she dived under, finally able to live amongst the waves.


	4. Chapter 4

**Apologies for not posting a thing in a while. Next chapter will be coming shortly after this one. (I hope.) :D**

At first, swimming was difficult. It was hard to get used to the feeling of her legs being glued together, and swimming was hard. But, after thrashing around underwater for a while, she got the hang of it, and zoomed along at an incredible pace. She was freer than she had ever been before, delighted by the bubbles and the scarce fish that drifted past. Finally, she mustered up her courage and dove down. As she got deeper, the water got bluer and she looked up at the sun, a greenish glow far above her. Then she saw someone. Far off in the distance, but with a fish's tail and a human's upper body. She powered along, swimming desperately to keep the mystery merperson on in sight. And then she saw it. The city. Every building seemed to be made of gold, and inlaid with precious stones. Everything glittered and colors were abundant. Colorful fish darted in and out of pillars, and golden light streamed from every corner. But the thing that held Ariel captive was the merpeople. They were everywhere, milling about. Tails of every color, and variety screamed for attention. Ariel was captivated as she swam into the city. She stared around, wide eyed and full of wonder. Then she heard trumpet calls. She saw the turning heads, and followed the gazes of those around her and saw him. The one whom she had saved. He was draped in golden silks. It was a procession, to where, she didn't know. The merpeople followed the procession to a golden statue in the middle of the city. It stretched higher than any of the surrounding buildings, and every sea creature ever known was depicted, swimming around two merpeople, a man and woman, who were holding hands. The vast enormity of it shocked Ariel, as she had never seen something so grand on land. The merman swam up between the heads of the two merpeople, and everyone in the crowd fell into a hushed silence. Then he spoke.  
"People of Atlantis! I am Eric, the future King of the Sea. My father has ruled for many years, and has decided to pass the throne on to me. I swear on my honor and on my tail that as soon as the crown touches my head, that I will never betray my people, and I will forever do my duty to my people, until its time to pass the crown on. As king, I will do my best to forever serve my people."  
His speech went on for much longer and Ariel stared, half in mystic wonder, half in horror that she had saved the life of the future King of the Sea. Then he saw her. His eyes were darting over the crowd as he ended his speech, and they landed on her. He obviously recognized her, as his eyes grew wide and his speech faltered. He finished the speech and was whisked away, processing to the castle. Ariel followed, swimming slightly above everyone else so that she could see him. Finally, the crowd dispersed and Ariel was left all alone staring at the palace. Then she saw a solitary figure dart out from one of the windows and swim away. She, always curious, followed. The figure darted into a cave, concealed by dangling seaweed. She followed and gasped as she entered. It was a grotto, full of beautiful treasures from above the water. Then the mystery merperson turned around. It was the prince.  
"What are- wait. You're the human!" He said in alarm.  
Ariel waved meekly.  
"How did you get here?" He asked, approaching her with menace in his voice. She backed up, cowering against the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed he wouldn't hurt her. A single tear slid down her cheek, made of a silvery substance that acted like water on land acted. The tear slid down to her chin and dripped off, landing on the stone floor of the grotto. He stopped, staring at her with wide eyes. His face softened, and he lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. She tensed, but didn't move other than that.  
"I'm sorry." He said. She simply nodded. "What's your name?" He asked. She started to speak, but her voice wouldn't come, and the feeling made her cringe and clutch at her throat. Tears stung her eyes. "You can't speak?" He asked. She nodded. He averted his eyes. "Then it couldn't be you..." He said quietly. She knew she should give up, but her heart reminded her that there was still a chance. "How'd you get here?" He asked. She shrugged. "You've never been here before." He stated, and she nodded.  
"So you don't know anyone here?" He guessed.  
She nodded.  
"No one to take care of you, and you can't speak?" He said, incredulous.  
She nodded.  
"Well, I'll take care you!" He exclaimed, suddenly like a merry school boy. He grabbed her wrist and eagerly led her out of the grotto. "You can't tell anyone about this... Or, show them this, okay?" He warned. Ariel nodded, and smiled. He led her though the city, showing her beautiful sights and sounds. And then he led her to the palace, where the halls were made of pearl that shimmered in every way. He called for Grenham, his advisor, and an older maid named Maggie. Upon seeing the new arrival, Maggie immediately swooped down on Ariel and pulled her away to be "Made over." Ariel's hair was brushed first, and then braided into an elaborate ponytail. Then Maggie went through a whole trunk load of finery that could never be rivaled on land. They settled on a light pink top with white ruffles along the bottom and long sleeves. Maggie used light pink and white scale paint to paint elaborate designs up the side of Ariel's tail. Then, and only then was she ready to be presented to the prince. She walked in shyly, and he stood(swam into an upright position?) and swam over. He took both her hands into his and looked into her big blue eyes. "You look amazing." He gasped. She blushed, and looked up at him. He gave her a gentle smile and pulled out a chair for her. She carefully sat down and glanced at the food. It didn't look like anything she'd ever eaten before, but by the first bite, she loved it. After dinner, he showed her around the palace. They were out on the terrace, looking out at the sprawling city beneath them when she turned to him and tried to say she loved him. Because of the witch's curse, every time Ariel spoke, her throat constricted, and she couldn't breathe. She ended up coughing and glancing apologetically at the prince.  
"Whoa, you okay?" He asked.  
She nodded, then mouthed 'name', with an added shrug of her shoulders.  
"My name?" He asked.  
She nodded again.  
"I'm Eric, and who're you?" He asked.  
She struggled for a second, before tracing her name in the water. Eric laughed.  
"It starts with A?" He guessed.  
Ariel nodded eagerly, smiling encouragingly. She carefully traced an R and an I.  
"A-R-I..." Continued Eric.  
She traced an E and a L and finished with a flourish.  
"Ariel?" He asked.  
She grabbed both his hands and nodded eagerly. Then, without thinking, she swam into his arms.  
Eric looked down at the little mermaid who he held in his arms and thought Ariel, that's a pretty name.

**I love this chapter. I don't know why, but this is probably one of my favorites. Don't forget to review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry! It's been forever since I uploaded. **

Ariel was showed around town the next day. Eric had given her a small sack of money to spend, and was showing her shops and tourist attractions. Ariel was delighted.  
The first shop that they visited was a clothing store, then a book shop, then a restaurant. They went dancing in the square, which was Ariel's favorite part of the day. The sun shone merrily through the water, casting sparkles over the town square. There were musicians playing instruments made of shells and coral. The town square was made of golden tile, and wide open. Ariel tried dancing with the tail, and found it surprisingly easy. Eric laughed and clapped as Ariel encouraged other young couples to dance with her. Finally, as the music started going faster, Ariel reached over and grabbed Eric's wrist and pulled him into the dance, smiling gleefully.  
Later, Eric took her on a sea-horse drawn carriage. And made the mistake of letting her drive. She pulled the sea-horses around tight corners, flying through the water, laughing silently the entire way as Eric held on for dear life. She loved the feel of bubbles tickling her face and she loved the variety of color that streamed past.  
After dinner, Eric took Ariel outside, where he led her to the surface.  
"I wanna show you something." He told her.  
They went into a lagoon, where he helped her climb up onto a rock.  
"I don't know anything about you..." He said.  
Ariel nodded slightly, and then sat still.  
They sat in silence for a while, waiting for the other. The music from Ariel's distant town reached them, a sweet song about two lovers. Ariel smiled and swayed to the beat, her lips mouthing the words she was unable to say.  
"Could you talk? A while ago, I mean." Asked Eric awkwardly.  
Ariel nodded.  
"_Kiss the girl..._" Sang the song as fireflies filled the air.  
Eric looked at Ariel, her eyes curiously wandering the scene. She turned to look at him and smiled a gentle and innocent smile.

He cupped her face in one of his hands, and leaned forward. Their lips almost met, when a blast of water hit them, knocking them off the rock.

"Are you okay?" Asked Eric, helping Ariel into deeper water.

She nodded, sadly. The magic was ruined.

"That was close." Hissed the Witch, perched behind a glass ball. "We'll have to prevent that from ever happening again."

**Cliffhangers! Sorry. But by now you probably know how this is going to end. REVEIW! Please! I really want to know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Wowmygosh! it's been WAY to long since I've posted anything! Ask here you guys go! And don't forget to review, because I want to know what you guys think!**

Ariel went back to the palace defeated. Surely Eric wouldn't want to kiss her at all now.  
Eric noticed something was wrong. Bending down, he gently hugged Ariel goodnight. She lit up like one of those bio-luminescent creatures that live on the bottom of the ocean.  
Ariel sat on the balcony outside her room, staring out at the sprawling Mer-city. A faint smile touched her lips, as she thought about Eric. He was so sweet. And maybe he would fall in love with her, and she'd finally have everything she had ever wanted. Tired, she lay down on her bed, a giant clamshell with a giant fluffy mattress and layers of beautiful blankets woven from seaweed and decorated with pearls. And slowly, as she was rocked by the waves, she drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Eric was sulking in the throne room. He sat, brooding on the ornate throne, staring out of the massive windows at his kingdom. He had everything he wanted, so why wasn't he happy?

_I'll probably never find the one who rescued me._ He thought.

"Sir?" Asked Maggie, who was floating in the water beside his right elbow.

"Maggie! I didn't see you there. What is it that troubles you?" He asked.

She offered him a kind smile, and patted his arm.

"I believe the question is what troubles _you_." She said.

Eric sat up a little straighter, giving her what he hoped was a piercing stare.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Maggie fixed the young prince with a look that seemed to delve right into his soul.

"I know you want to find that Mer, but remember, better than any dream girl is one of flesh and blood, and one who is right before your very eyes." She said, and, without another word, she swam away.

Eric smiled slightly. Maggie was right.

But, as he was leaving, he heard someone singing.

It was _her_.


End file.
